The Miss FQ Revlon Influence Awards is back! Here’s what you need to know

10 July 2018

By Fashion Quarterly

We're celebrating what it means to live boldly.

Whether you were a winner, a nominee, or one of the thousands of voters that got behind last year’s campaign, it was your enthusiasm that made the inaugural Miss FQ Influence Awards the success that it was. It’s also why we’re preparing to do it all over again…

The thing is, we at Miss FQ are all about making bold moves. We’re proud when we do it. We’re even prouder when YOU do it, and that’s why this year, with thanks to our new principal sponsor, Revlon, we want to celebrate what it means to Live Boldly.

For us, living boldly has meant changing a few things up — our name being the big one. There’s more to having ‘influence’ than being an ‘influencer’, amiright? So this year, we want to make sure our awards shine a light on awesome New Zealanders doing amazing (and yes, influential!) things, both on and off the ‘gram.

We can’t reveal much more just yet, but when the Miss FQ x Revlon Influence Awards launches in just a few short weeks, you can expect to see brand new sponsors, fresh categories, bolder messaging and bigger prizes than before.

Think you — or someone you know — could be a future winner? Nominations will open soon, so keep an eye on MissFQ.co.nz, and on our Facebook and Instagram for further announcements.

And sure, talking yourself up isn’t always the easiest thing to do. But take it from last year’s Fitspo category and Supreme Award winner, Riley Hemson (AKA @healthychick101) — putting yourself out there pays off. Now a full-time graduate intern paramedic with Wellington Free Ambulance and still managing to hit the gym on the reg, all while keeping her IG following updated (FYI, this has grown from 60k to over 100k since her win), our fave fitspo star shares some memories and motivational wisdom with us.

Miss FQ: How did it feel to be named Supreme Award winner of the Miss FQ Influence Awards 2017?
Riley: So surreal, to be even named along side those incredible women was such a ‘pinch me’ moment.

What impact did the win have on you, and on your fitspo journey?
More than anything I was just blown away to realise the amount of support I have… and from people that I haven’t even met, no less! My followers now feel even more like my friends and I feel so so grateful.

Update us on what you’ve been up to since your win — PBs smashed, goals accomplished, and anything new you’re working towards…
I’m now working full time on the ambulance which is awesome. Alongside this I’m still running my Instagram, hitting the gym, eating yum food, and really focusing on feeling good — mentally and physically.

What would you say to anyone thinking about entering this year’s awards?
You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose!

What did you gain from the overall experience of participating in last year’s awards?
Exposure, I met some awesome people, and had an awesome night at the event.

What’s your favourite memory from the event?
The cocktails! Can’t beat a good cocktail 😅

You’ll notice that we’ve evolved our name from ‘Influencer Awards’ to ‘Influence Awards’ — a subtle but significant change that we think better encapsulates what we at Miss FQ stand for. One needn’t be an ‘influencer’ to have enormous influence over others, after all. Who have been some of the greatest influences on your life, and why?
Totally agree with that statement! My mum, my Grammy and my nana have always been such a great role models. To grow up in a family of strong, kind women has definitely impacted how I live my life.

The theme of this year’s Influence Awards is ‘Live Boldly’. In what ways do you live boldly?
By loving my body at every single stage, and wearing what I want if it makes me feel good. I’ve learnt that it’s literally impossible to please everyone, so my motto is just please yourself.